A vaccine against cowpox is currently being used against mpox, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

In a radio interview, DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said that the bulk of the cowpox vaccines provided for free by the World Health Organization (WHO) is currently being given in African countries with mpox outbreaks.

"Yung una, ginamit yung cowpox [vaccine] against smallpox and then na-protect yung mga bata against smallpox (At first, they used the cowpox vaccine against smallpox and then the children got protected from smallpox)," Herbosa explained.

"So yung current vaccine, na ngayon hindi ako nakikipag-agawan kasi alam ko mas kailangan nila sa Africa (So the current vaccine, I'm not competing with it because I know they need it more in Africa)," he added.

Herbosa, along with other DOH officials, attended on Friday, 23 August, a hybrid-format WHO briefing on the global mpox situation.

"Yung bakuna na konti lang, ibubuhos muna natin sa Africa sapagkat kailangang ma-contain yung outbreak dun (The vaccines are only very few, we'll just give most of them in Africa because we need to contain the outbreak there)," Herbosa said.

Herbosa, however, assured that he already asked the WHO for vaccines once the demand stabilizes.

"I have 2,000 doses coming from our share sa WHO," he added, noting that the first doses could be given to dermatologists.

On 19 August, the DOH reported the 10th case of mpox in the country, the first in 2024.

The patient, a 33-year-old man residing in Metro Manila, has no travel history abroad.

Common symptoms of Mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions, which can last two to four weeks.

The rashes are accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox can be transmitted to humans through close, intimate contact with someone infectious, with contaminated materials like used clothes or utensils, or with infected animals.